New Addition
by eternalsailorsolarwind
Summary: Written for a prompt from Rionarch on for noticing that I had posted 100 stories there: a Byakuya/Ichigo fic with a puppy involved. Set-post series end, Byakuya comes home to find that Ichigo has gotten their son a gift. He is not amused.


New Addition

By: eternalsailorsolarwind AKA youkai_girl

Disclaimer: _Bleach_ and all of it characters are owned by Tite Kubo, his Japanese publishers, and Viz. I only play with them for grins and giggles.

A/N: Written for a prompt from Rionarch on for noticing that I had posted 100 stories there: a Byakuya/Ichigo fic with a puppy involved. Set-post series end, Byakuya comes home to find that Ichigo has gotten their son a gift. He is not amused.

0o0o0o0o0o

Only long practice kept Byakuya's face in its usual calm, imperturbable manner. No matter that he wanted to rage at his spouse for the destruction of his garden; early training held firm. But it was still a struggle. "Ichigo…what is going on here?"

Freezing at the sound of his husband's voice, Ichigo nonchalantly turned. His face was a study in questioning innocence. The ball in his hand – never mind the puppy and their son running in circles around him – proclaimed his guilt. Nevertheless, the former _ryoka_ tried his best. "What are you talking about, Byakuya?"

Stormy gray eyes looked pointedly at the puppy now leaning against their son's leg. Ryotaro hid behind Ichigo, peeking out to stare worriedly at his father. "Why is there a dog in this garden?"

Realizing that the game was up, Ichigo shrugged. "Playing with Ryotaro. I thought that was obvious."

Anyone else would have spontaneously combusted from the heat in the noble's glare. Ichigo, however, met the look easily. "I am not blind, Ichigo. Explain why the dog is in the garden – whether playing with our son or not – at all."

"Every kid needs a pet, Byakuya. Ryotaro wanted a dog. So I got him one."

Nostrils flared in outrage. "Neither you nor I had a pet growing up. And we turned out perfectly fine."

"I know," agreed Ichigo with a nod. "But I think we both would have been better off if we had. Maybe we'd be less prone to being so serious all the time. Learned how to play once in awhile."

His husband's tone cooled some of Byakuya's anger. Not one for might-have-beens, Ichigo sounded almost…wistful. "Ichigo?"

"I don't want Ryotaro to grow up with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He deserves to be a kid, in the way we weren't able to," said his spouse quietly. "And if that means getting our son a dog, than that's what I'm going to do."

Movement at his feet caught Byakuya's attention, and he looked down. The puppy, black with a white front paw, panted a smile up at him and pawed at the hem of his _shihakusho_. Though a hard man, the noble was far from heartless. Especially when his family was involved.

"I would have preferred to have been consulted, Ichigo. But as long as the dog –"

"Dark," piped up Ryotaro from where he still hid behind his other father. "His name is Dark."

Amused despite himself, Byakuya continued. "As long as _Dark_ is sufficiently _trained_, he may remain."

Smiling has his young son danced in his joy, the noble locked eyes with his husband. "However, as …penance for sneaking Dark into the garden, the two of you will assist the gardeners in cleaning up the mess you've made. And you will also take care of the dog's needs."

"We will," promised Ichigo, relief and pleasure flaring in his dark brown eyes. His spouse had been less than sure of this outcome probably why he'd brought the dog – Dark – without telling him in the first place. Byakuya was long-used to the way Ichigo's thought process worked.

Watching his family and retainers go to work, cleaning up the mess made by its youngest members, the noble realized that his earlier anger had completely dissipated. In its place was a small flame of pure joy growing slowly brighter with every passing moment. He finally had what he'd always wanted in life – family – and his love for them could withstand some property damage and dog hairs on his _haori_.


End file.
